Game appliance.



F. H. HALL.

GAME APPLIANCE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE e, 1913.

1,103,579. Patented July 14,1914.

W! TNESSES W FrankHHaZl By v waifwm 1c v amey FRANK H. HALL, OF YONKER-S, NEW YORK.

GAME ArrLIANcE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 14, 1914.

Application filed June 6, 1913. Serial No. 772,024.

To all whom it may concern:

, Be it known that I, FRANK H. HALL, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, in the county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game Appliances, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in game appliances, and has relation more particularly to a device of this general character in the nature of a target, and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this general type of a simple and comparatively inexpensive nature having novel and improved means whereby an object may be effectively supported and maintained in stable position without liability of shifting or falling accidentally out of place, so as to afford a clearly defined mark at which an accurate aim may be taken, while at the same time the supporting means is of such structure as to present the least possible obstruction to the projectile, and to assure ready disengagement of the object therefrom in order that the same may drop immediately when struck by the projectile.

The invention consists in certain novel features of the construction, and combinations and arrangements of the several parts of the improved game appliance, whereby certain important advantages are attained, and the device is rendered simpler, less expensive and otherwise better adapted and more convenient for use, all as will be hereinafter fully set forth;

The novel features of the invention will be carefully defined in the claims.

In order that my improvements may be the better understood, I will now proceed to describe the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a view in perspective of a game appliance constructed in accordance with my invention; Fig. 2 is a view partly in section and partly in side elevation, illustrating in detail the supporting means set forth in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary bottom plan view of the supporting means, as herein disclosed.

The improved game appliance has supporting means which includes a member 1 which may be produced with convenience from an elongated piece or strip of flattened metal of suflicient rigidity to afford an effective support for the object to be aimed at, and to avoid becoming readily bent from being struck by the projectile, yet possessed of a certain degree of flexibility or pliability to permit one end portion thereof, as indi' cated at 2 in Fig, 2, to be suitably clenched in or behind a supporting surface or body 3, upon which the supporting means is thereby securely attached, so that its elongated straight shank portion may project outward horizontally or perpendicularly from said surface or body 3, as clearly represented in the drawings, although I'do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to any particular form or manner of attachment.

The outer end portion of the flattened strip from which the member 1 is formed is provided with a downwardly directed curved hook portion l, integrally produced thereon, and of substantially the full width of the flattened strip, so as to aflord at its lower part a broad and smooth upper surface, the extremity of its said lower part being pointed, as indicated at 8, and extended rearwardly in a tangential direction from the curved portion, and at a slight upward inclination toward the supportin surface or body 3, in such a way as to be adapted to pass readily through an elongated opening or slot 10 produced at the upper part of the object 9 to be supported, as indicated in the drawings, so that said object may be readily applied to or disengaged from said hook portion. This structure of the improved supporting means affords at the outer end of the supporting surface a hook shaped part the broad smooth upper surface of the lower part 6 of which is adapted to afford an effective support for the object from falling outwardly or toward the marksman, and being positioned substantially in alinemcnt with the horizontally extended stem or shank of the strip or member 1, so as to offer the least possible obstruction in the path of the projectile. The formation of the supporting means from flattened material also assures the provision of the broad flat surface at the lower part 6 of the hook shaped part 4 upon which the supported or suspended object rests in such a manner as to prevent oscillation or shifting of said object such as might interfere with accurate aim. The elongated horizontally extended shank portion of the strip or member 1 also serves to position the rearwardly directed pointed end 8 of the hook at a sufficient distance in advance of the supporting surface or body 3 to assure a sufficient intervening space back of the point of the hook to permit the supported or suspended object to be readily disengaged from the hook portion when struck by the projectile, and as herein shown thepointed extremity of said hook portion is produced by tapering the opposite sides or edges of the metal strip reversely one to the other at the point whereat the object 9 is supported, as indicated at 7,7 on the drawings so as to prevent binding of the supported or suspended object such as might occur were the same struck by the projectile at one side of its,

of gravity of the object or target 9 the trans- 5 versely elongated opening or aperture 10" adjacent to the Y positioned, preferably, upper part of said object or target 9 and of anextent but slightly in excess of the greatest lateral dimension .of the hook member 4 of the member 1.

As is believed to be fully shown in Fig. 1, it is to be observed that the object or target 9 is supported or suspended in operative position by causing the flattened lower portion 6 of the hook member 4- to extend through the opening or aperture 10, and as before stated, the upper inclination of the rearwardly directed point of said hook portion or member 4 1s such as to maintain the I object or target 9 against displacement under normal or ordinary conditions; but, should any part of the target be forcibly struck by the missile or projectile aimed thereat the upward and rearward inclination of said point of the hook portion or member 41 permitsthe object or target 9 to pass or slide very readily from the hook portion without hindrance or obstruction.

In order to afford additional rigidity to the member 1 and to minimize the strain at the point of attachment 2, I find it of advantage to extend the member 1 through a reinforce or button 11 of predetermined thickness and having its bottom face, suitably secured, as by an adherent, to theadjacent face or side of the support 3.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the game appliance constructed in accordance with my invention is of an extremely simple and comparatively inexpen- I sive nature, and is particularly well adapted for use by reason of the efiectiveness with which an object is normally held against dis- ,placement from the supporting member, and

by reason of the certainty of absolute disengagement of the object from the supporting means when such object is directly struck by a missile or projectile and it will also be obvious that the improved appliance issu'sceptible of some change and modificationwithOut material departure from the principles and spirit of the invention; and

for this reason I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the precise fori mation and arrangement of the several parts herein set forth in carrying out my invention in practice.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- I 1. A device of the character described having a supporting member provided with an elongated horizontally extended shank portion one end of which is adapted for attachment to a supporting surface, and the opposite forward end portion of which is provided with a downwardly directed hook like portion having at its lower part a wide fiattened surface whereon an object to be supported is adapted to be detachably engaged and prevented from accidental movement, the extremity of said hook like portion being directed rearwardly behind said flattened supporting surface to facilitate slipping of Y the supported object rearwardlyout of engagement therewith when struck by a missile.

2. A device of the character described having a supporting member provided with an elongated horizontally extended shank portion, one end of which is adapted for attachment to a supporting surface, and the opposite forward end portion of which is provided with a downwardly directed hook like portion having at its lower part a wide flattened surface whereon an object to be supported is adapted to be detachably engaged and prevented from accidental movement, the extremity of said hook like portion being provided with opposite converging edges affording a tapering point extended at an inclination upward and rearwardly behind said flattened supporting surface to facilitate slipping of the supported object rearwardly out of engagement therewith when struck by a missile.

- In'wltness whereof I have hereunto slgned namem the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

FRANK II. HALL.

l/vitnesses FERDINAND STRAUss,

W. E. 'LAwsoN.

; Qgpies of this pa tentmay beobtained for five cents each, by addressing,the.flommissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. C. 

